Prelude to a Kiss
by KristosLilly
Summary: Brenda and Sonny's crazy journey back to each other's loving arms ... Fashionista Kate Howard and Detective David Harper tag along for the wild ride.
1. Losing Ground

**Prelude to a Kiss**

_**This is a Brenda Barrett/Sonny Corinthos; and Kate Howard/David Harper fic. Basically the story is a simple story of breakups, love and longing and a few kisses along the way. Thanks so much for reading. Please note: Kate doesn't have DID or any hints of it in this story.**_

**Chapter 1: Losing Ground**

_**September 2008**_

"I can't do this anymore, Sonny, I just can't," Kate Howard said as she watched the man she had given her heart to so many years before sitting on the edge of the sofa, and felt his big, warm hands wrapped around her smaller ones. She wanted so badly to allow herself to slip into his arms and forget everything but the two of them, but she wouldn't allow herself to bend so easily, never again. "You slept with Carly …"

Sonny Corinthos's dark chocolate eyes were stormy. "Kate, for the last time, it didn't mean anything."

"It may not mean anything to you but it means something to me, Sonny," Kate said stiffly. Her body was wound tight as a drum, so much so that she physically ached all over, and she was feeling the need to get the hell out of there before she did something stupid like welcome Sonny back into her life. She was so good at running. That has always been her M.O. when things got too uncomfortable as they were now.

"It's no excuse but we were grieving, Kate," Sonny said, standing and reaching for Kate but she twisted out of his grasp. He sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. "We just lost our son – maybe forever. It was a momentary minute of insanity. She cried the whole time, I felt like shit …"

Kate nodded. "I understand that, I do, Sonny, but the worst part is that you lied about it. And it wasn't the first time. You slept with that she-viper Claudia as well."

It hurt Kate to even talk about that indiscretion let alone the one with Carly, someone Kate knew meant a lot more to Sonny than just being the mother of his children. "I have to go to work now," Kate said. "I'll … see you later." _Maybe, maybe not,_ she added silently.

She slipped her purse over her shoulder and walked to the door of the Greystone, looking it over once more, trying to memorize every detail as if she knew somehow she would never be welcome there ever again.

XoXoXo

"Miss … M'am?" A female voice interrupted her muddled thoughts.

She snapped to attention and watched the flight attendant look around the now-empty plane pointedly. "Oh, yeah, sorry," Brenda mumbled. She grabbed her bag and with a deep breath started for the exit. She smoothed down her knee-length black Fredrico skirt nervously as she exited the jet way and spotted him standing there, shifting from foot to foot anxiously.

Without thinking, she immediately walked over to him and threw her arms around his broad shoulders. "I am so sorry," she said, tears beading in her dark eyes.

Jason Morgan sighed and tapped her back a bit awkwardly in a half-attempt to return the embrace. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry that I wasn't here sooner," Brenda said. "That I didn't come when I heard about the … what happened from Robin."

"It's okay," Jason said.

"No, it really wasn't."

"It's not a big deal."

"Don't lie to me, Jason. I know it's a big deal. You raised Michael as your own …" Once that would have pained her to say, to think of the way Jason had hurt her best friend, the girl she thought of as a sister for Carly of all people, but a lot of Brenda's anger over the situation had evaporated over time and now she just felt incredibly bad for Carly. Incredibly sad that Carly had lost her son to brain death. No one deserved that, in Brenda's mind. No one.

"I know," Jason finally answered and stepped out of her embrace with a pointed cough.

"Still shunning human affection huh?" Brenda said, in an attempt to make him smile. It only partly worked and the warmth never met his cobalt eyes.

Jason reached for her bag and she thought about stopping him, arguing him because that was their way of communicating, but decided not to. He hated public spectacles more than anything and he probably wouldn't appreciate her attempt to make him feel human again.

They started walking through the terminal to the baggage claim and Brenda watched his stony expression. "How are you? Really?"

"I'm dealing," Jason said and she knew that that was the best she could get out of him.

"And him?" Brenda asked. "How's he holding up?"

"He's broken," Jason answered. "Sonny is in bad shape. He lost everything and the worst part is that I helped take everything away from him …"

"Jason, don't go blaming yourself," Brenda said. "You do that way too much."

He just shrugged. "This will be good for him, seeing you …"

Brenda shook her head. "For now I don't want him to know I'm in town. I really don't want anyone to know just yet."

Jason eyed her curiously. "Why is that?"

"I just can't retread over old ground right now. I came here to see Robin, to check on her, see how she's holding up being pregnant and warring with the father all the time. I also wanted to check on you …"

The truth was Brenda was scared. Terrified, actually, and nothing had never intimidated her like the thought of facing her old life, facing her painful past. That seemed like a daunting task and she was sure if she saw Sonny now, she would never be able to walk away from him and she knew she had come too far to go back now.


	2. Unexpected Events

**Chapter 2: Unexpected Events**

Kate fumed as she searched the office, high and low, everywhere she could think of, to find the damn designs for the spring collection issue. She was sure she had locked them in her desk drawer but they were not there. Though she had been so frazzled lately with everything that was going on that she couldn't be one hundred percent sure now where she put them. She was tempted to hurl something out the window in her frustration but realized Sonny was not there and nothing else was a good substitution.

Except maybe for her ring. Her engagement ring. The ring that she had foolishly believed meant a new beginning was coming for her and Sonny. What an idiot she had been!

She ripped the offending circlet off her hand and threw it immediately in the trash can where the garbage of empty promises and even emptier apologies belonged. She almost hated to do it being that it was over 100 karats of pure diamonds and gold and it had been special ordered from her favorite boutique in London, but she decided that she did not want any reminders of her too painful, too recent past.

That done, she smacked her hands together triumphantly and then went back to searching for the hardcopies of the design layout. But after awhile, she still had not found them and finally threw up her hands – literally – and stalked to the door of her office. She yanked it open so hard that it clattered back against the opposite wall. She didn't care. She was trying her best not to care at all anymore about anything or anyone. Save for her career. That had sustained her through many lonelier years and would have to do so again.

"Maxie," she called to her assistant who was gabbing on the phone to some unknown person. Kate didn't give a damn who was on the other line as long as Maxie was doing her job, which she clearly was not.

Maxie jumped in her seat. "Spinelli, I have to go," she said and slammed down the phone, rushing to her feet so fast she nearly tipped over.

"Since when are personal calls allowed on company time, Miss Jones?" Kate demanded.

"God I am sorry so but –"

Kate waved her hand dismissively. "We can talk about that later. For now, I want to know where the hardcopies of the spring layout have disappeared to."

"You don't have them?"

Kate rolled her cinnamon-colored eyes. "Would I be asking you if I did?"

"Oh no, of course not. I'll start looking for them right now. There should be a copy of them on my computer as well."

"Well chop, chop, you're burning daylight here," Kate snapped. "I'll be in my office. You'd better have good news for me in ten minutes or you are fired."

XoXoXo

Sonny slumped down into the sofa cushions at the Greystone and took a sip of his bourbon. His life blew chunks, as Michael would have said. But Michael wasn't around to say little quirky things like that anymore. No, some bastard had put him in a coma and the chances of him ever coming out of it were slim-to-none. It frustrated the hell out of Sonny – this helpless feeling, watching his life spiral out of control at an unstoppable speed. It reminded him of when he was a boy and Deke used to beat his mother black and blue and Sonny was too small to stop him. The only thing that had gotten through him through those dark days of his childhood was his friendship with Kate. Or Connie, as he used to know her.

Kate had changed so much since the days they were kids. Things had never been simple back then but they had never been this hard either. Part of him wanted to lash out at her for continuing to throw his indiscretions in his face and the other part understood why she was acting the way she was. He had hurt her. He had brought her to her knees and he had never meant to. Just like he had never meant to hurt Carly or Sam or Alexis, or the one woman he believed somewhere in his dark heart that he would always love the best way he knew how.

_Brenda Barrett._

There were so many times during this ordeal with Michael that he had thought about picking up the phone and calling Brenda. But he had never known what to say and he then felt angry at himself for even caring. She had run off on him, in his mind, more than once. When she chose to marry Jax again the last time she was in town; that had been a deal breaker in his mind. Still, there were times when he was alone in his bed – or even, sad to say it – with another woman tucked under his arm that he thought of her and wondered what could have been if they had ever just gotten their timing right …

_Forget her, Sonny,_ he told himself. _Just forget her. She's in Paris or wherever she wants to be and you don't need her. _

Kate was the one in his life now and he was going to make damn sure he didn't lose her. They were supposed to have been married in two weeks time and he was determined now that the wedding would happen. He needed it to happen. He needed some stability in his life and Kate was the only one he thought he could find it with …

He grabbed his jacket and started out the door, heading to her office.

XoXoXo

Brenda walked into the penthouse and noticed right away that it was as orderly and neat and lifeless and cold as it used to be before she moved in. "You never switched the décor, did you?" she asked him.

"It was a bit different for awhile," he said. "We have a pink room upstairs."

Brenda turned and glanced at him in shock. "A pink room? Mr. Manly McMobster Morgan has a pink room?"

"It wasn't my idea," he said with a shrug. "It was my ex-girlfriend's."

"Boy do we have some catching up to do," Brenda said.

He sighed. "Do you want a beer or something?"

"No thanks. I am going to call Robin and see if she wants to come over." Brenda paused. "You don't mind, do you? I know things could get tense with your history –"

"It's fine," Jason said. "We are past that now. She's with that Patrick guy and I'm –"

"You're with who, Jason?" Brenda pressed. "Or are you cutting yourself off from all human contact once again?"

"There is someone," Jason said. "But I don't want to talk about this now." He turned and marched out of the room pointedly.

Brenda shook her head. The strong, silent type. Some things never, ever changed.

She pulled her leather purse off of her shoulder and extracted her cell phone from it. Robin was number one on her speed dial and she answered right away, seeming to have expected it would be Brenda. "Hey, big sister," Robin greeted her, apparently having recognized Brenda's phone number. They had talked dozens of times over the past few years but there were certain subjects that had always been off-limits. Like their feelings for their exes and other such uncomfortable subjects. Brenda mostly had wanted to avoid all thoughts of Sonny and Jax so she had sort of laid the ground rule on the matter.

"Hey, little sis," Brenda said. "How are you doing? How's the baby?"

"Making me fat," Robin chuckled and Brenda could hear the undisguised happiness in her voice. "Patrick is also driving me crazy with all of his worrying. 'Have you took your prenatal pills today?', "How are you feeling today?', 'Do your toes look a little more swollen than normal'?"

Brenda laughed out loud. "When do I get to meet this Prince Charming?" she asked.

"Whenever you want to. I am guessing you're in Port Charles already."

"Yep," Brenda answered. "I'd love to see you. Do you think you and Patrick could swing by Jason's place sometime tonight?"

"Bren, are you serious?" Robin shrieked. "You want Jason and Patrick in the same room together? There's liable to be bloodshed. I mean, one man intruding on another's turf is so …"

"Yeah, I know. I just want to see you so badly. See how cute and fat and pregnant you look!"

"Hey!"

"I meant that as a sincere compliment."

Robin laughed. "Well why don't you come over to my apartment then?" she suggested. "I can order some Chinese; you could see me all fat and pregnant and meet Pattycakes at the same time."

"Pattycakes?" Brenda chuckled. "I guess I could come; it's just …"

"You don't want to run into anyone, like say … Sonny?"

"Exactly," Brenda said. "I really can't face him just yet. I don't know why but I just can't. I know it's awful when he could probably use a friend right now but I'm feeling so raw and –"

"I understand completely and totally. Just wait until its dark and then have Jason drive you over. He just can't stay," Robin said with a laugh.

"Okay, will do," Brenda said. "I'll see you in a few hours. Kisses and hugs."

"Back at you," Robin said and they disconnected.

Brenda sighed as she dropped down onto the sofa, crossing her legs just as Jason walked back into the room. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Were you eavesdropping?" Brenda shot back.

"No," Jason insisted but his face colored a bit and she knew she had caught him in the act.

"Shame on you," Brenda said with a giggle.

She patted the seat next to her. "Sit down and tell me everything," she said.

"I'd rather not."

"What sit next to me or share your most intimate details?"

"Both," he said and he cracked a thin smile. Still, he did sit down beside her.

"So start talking," Brenda said.

"You first."

"My life's an open book, Jason."

"Yeah right," he said rolling his eyes. "That's why you have yet to tell me why you're so skittish about seeing Sonny."

"I already told you. I don't want to stir up a whole bunch of old emotions …"

Jason took a sip of his beer. "Okay you're scared –"

"I am not!"

He went on like he hadn't heard her. "You're scared but Sonny could stand to see a friendly, familiar face right now. Someone who would understand what he's going through. I can't be that person anymore so you're the next best one."

"Gee, thanks," she mumbled.

A long, anxious pause hung in the air before Brenda turned to Jason.

"Jason, I have to tell you something and you have to promise not to say anything to anyone about it, especially Sonny ..."

XoXoXo

Detective David Harper groaned as he listened to this fashion plate Kate Howard go on and on about how someone had stolen her "precious" designs or layout or whatever. He was only half listening because he was so bored and also anxious to get back to the station and solve real crimes, _which was his job._ Not going on a hunt for some fabric samples or some shit like that.

"Are you listening to me, Detective?" Kate bellowed.

Harper nodded. "Barely," he said.

Her hands flew to her trim hips. "Excuse me? Why are you here if you're not going to take this seriously?"

Harper smirked. "Because I was the only one left to take this particular 'case'. My fellow officers were too busy chasing down leads on some missing pantyhose from Wyndham's department store."

He could barely restrain a laugh as he watched the way her face flamed bright red in consternation. "You're making fun of me."

Harper didn't deny it. "Look, I'm sorry about your designs and whatnot but I have real cases that need solving so if you'll excuse me –"

Kate grabbed the sleeve of his denim shirt just as he was about to turn and walk out. "Listen to me, you Mayberry town reject cop in a bad suit," she snapped. "This is not a joke. My whole life is on the line here."

Harper waved his hands. "Oh my! Gee, I'm so sorry to have offended you," he spat out sarcastically.

"You'd better be," Kate snapped at him again. "Now try to look useful and dust for fingerprints or something."

He was about to give her a piece of his mind when the elevator doors slid open and the mob kingpin himself strode into the office. He looked at Harper, Harper looked back at him, and almost immediately an invisible line was drawn in the sand – or the Persian carpeting as the case may be.

"Kate, what is this cop doing here?" Sonny demanded.

Harper was about to tell him off but Kate shot him a silencing look and immediately jumped closer to him, surprisingly close, grasping his arm. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She shot back at Sonny.

Harper rolled his eyes. Apparently now he suited Kate's purposes just fine. He was clearly being used to make the mobster-lite jealous. Well, Harper would be sure to play his part to the hilt then …


	3. Revisiting the Past

**Chapter 3: Revisiting the Past**

"You're going to be okay right?" Jason said. "I mean you're going to make it through this?"

"Jason, it's just a visit to Robin's place," Brenda said, pretending to be dense.

"You know what I mean …"

"Yeah I'll be fine. No worries, okay?" she said, touching his arm for a brief moment.

"Do you need me to walk you to the door?" He asked.

Brenda chuckled. "Jason, it's like ten feet away. I think I can make it."

"Okay, well I'll come and pick you up when you're done," he said.

She nodded. "Okay, thanks." She paused for a moment and then looked back at him. "Maybe you're not as emotionless as I thought."

He just shook his head and sighed, fighting a little smile.

XoXoXo

Brenda was greeted at the door by a hugely pregnant Robin. It was difficult to hug but they somehow managed. "Ohmigod!" Brenda crowed. "You look beautiful pregnant."

Robin scoffed. "Yeah right. I'm a whale."

"A beautiful, majestic one," a male voice piped up.

Robin groaned and turned to face the tall, dark-haired man who had just walked into the room. Brenda smiled. "You must be Patrick."

"I guess Robin's been talking a lot about me, huh?" Patrick said with a grin as he held out a hand to Brenda.

Brenda laughed. "You're family now, Pattycakes," she said, using the nickname Robin had called him on the phone. "I get a hug." She reached out and embraced Patrick for a moment and then slid her arm around Robin.

"This is a great little place you've got here," Brenda said.

"Thanks. I am sure it doesn't compare to your little chateau in Paris," Robin laughed. "Come. Sit down, you must be exhausted from your long flight."

"A little," Brenda admitted as she slid onto the sofa next to Robin. "You really do look amazing, little sister."

Robin chuckled. "Thanks. That's quite a compliment coming from the most beautiful model I know."

"Who, me?" Brenda said facetiously.

Patrick looked at the two of them and smiled. "Can I get you two something to drink?"

"Ooooh so dutiful," Brenda laughed and looked over at Robin. "You've got a keeper."

"He'll do," Robin joked.

Patrick chuckled. "Right back 'atcha. Anyway, drinks?"

"Sure, anything will be fine," Brenda said.

"And for me, you know the usual," Robin said.

"Yep, a glass of Vitamin D milk per doctor's orders." He then slipped out the room to give the ladies time to catch up.

"So how have you been?" Robin asked Brenda eagerly. "I mean, it's been so long since we've seen each other. I can't believe it."

"Yeah it has," Brenda agreed. "I'm fine but I'd rather talk about you."

Robin shook her head. "Oh no, you're not getting off so easily."

Brenda smiled. "I'm fine, really. Nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried, Bren, I just want to know how you've been, what you've been up to since we last talked on the phone?"

"Oh not much – this and that," Brenda hedged.

"How's the modeling going? Booked any new jobs?"

"No, not lately," Brenda said. "I've been just relaxing for awhile now."

"That doesn't sound like the mover and shaker Brenda I know," Robin said. "Is everything really alright?"

"Yes! Of course. Everything is fine. Now tell me, what's the little girl's name going to be?"

"For now it's just 'Muffin' but that could change."

Brenda laughed. "I hope it does. Muffin Scorpio doesn't sound so great. She'd get teased mercilessly on the playground."

"Yep," Robin agreed with a smile.

"Now tell me when Patrick is going to make an honest woman out of you," Brenda said with a smile.

"I thought you always said I was 'unfailingly honest'."

"You know what I mean. When are you going to get married?"

"Actually in a few weeks. We finally set a date and I'm glad you mentioned it because I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Okay …"

"Will you be my maid of honor?"

Brenda's smile faltered a bit. "Robs, you don't want me. What about your cousin Maxie?"

"She's already picked out her bridesmaid dress. In fact, she designed the wedding dress and picked out the dresses for the wedding party. You should see the one she got for you. Its deep, royal blue and strapless-"

"Robs, I wish you hadn't bought it already."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not sure I'll be around then."

XoXoXo

Sonny watched Kate closely as well as the cop. "Well is someone going to tell me what's going on here?"

The cop spoke first, immediately locking an arm around Kate's waist. "Can't you tell, Corinthos? You caught your ex and me about to …"

Kate jumped at his touch and tried to shove Harper away. "Sonny, don't –"

Sonny groaned. "So this is what? Payback for the Carly thing?"

Kate immediately looked angry again. "The Carly 'thing'? You cheat on me and call it a 'thing'?"

Harper's grin never faltered and Sonny was tempted to wipe it off his face with a right hook. Somehow he managed to resist even as Harper said, "Yeah, Corinthos, you're too late. Kate has moved on."

"I have not," Kate said, finally shoving Harper away. "I mean, I have because you hurt me but … Not with this clown."

Harper laughed. "I'll be going now, lover," he said to Kate who flushed red in the face. "Let's do this again soon." Then he walked towards the elevator and was gone.

"What the hell was all that about?" Sonny demanded. "We are broken up for what – two seconds? – and you've already moved on."

Kate glared at him haughtily. "And we were not even broken up when you slept with Carly."

Sonny shook his head. "I said I'm sorry. I hate what I did. I really do but I can't change the past. We can only move forward."

"What a cliché line, Sonny. Have you been watching Oprah again?" Kate shot at him unflinchingly.

Sonny glared back at her. "What were you doing with that cop?"

"For your information, Sonny, my spring layout plans have been stolen and he was here to investigate. Nothing was going on. He was just playing you."

"As you tried to do."

"Oh that's rich coming from you, Sonny - the ultimate player," Kate hissed.

Sonny sighed, rubbing his forehead where a huge headache was building. "Look I really didn't come here to fight. I really didn't."

"Then why are you here?" Kate asked and for a moment there he almost thought he heard a hint of vulnerability and even hope in her voice. But then it was gone as she said, "Look I have work to do; files to find so if you'll excuse me …"

"Kate," Sonny said, reaching for her hand. "You were always there for me as a kid when I needed you. Please don't walk away again – not now. Not when I … need you." He hated to admit he needed her, or anyone or anything. Needing was weakness in Sonny's mind but it was out there and he couldn't take it back.

Kate's haughty expression drooped a bit, letting aside some of the armor she wore to protect herself. "Sonny, you hurt me. I don't think we can go back …"

"I know. I know. But I still want to make things work. There has to be some way ... I don't know how many ways I can say I'm sorry for hurting you."

Kate sighed. "Look I can't talk right now but I suppose I am open to what you have to say," she said, only a bit grudgingly. "I'll come over to your place after work and we can talk."

"Okay," Sonny said. "That sounds good."

"Just don't read too much into this, Sonny. I am just there to talk and that's it."

Sonny nodded. "I understand." He forced a smile he didn't feel. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Kate said, turning and walking back into her office and shutting the door.

Sonny sighed and walked to the elevator. He had so much crap spinning in his brain and needed it to go away before he was certifiable. He decided he would go for a walk on the docks to clear his mind. He hoped that would work anyway …

XoXoXo

"What do you mean you'll be gone?" Robin asked, looking very concerned.

"I mean …" Brenda started and then touched Robin's hand. "Robin, I have to get back to Paris soon. I just came to see you and make sure you're okay because I've missed you and you never know when it could all be over …"

"Okay, you're scaring me here, Bren," Robin said. "Is something wrong? Something you're not telling me about?"

Brenda considered the question long and hard and then decided she couldn't put the burden of the truth on Robin. Not now. Not when she was pregnant and soon to give birth. That was too much stress for her.

"I'm fine, okay, totally fine. I just have obligations back in Paris that can't wait long," Brenda said.

Patrick walked back into the room carrying a tall glass of milk and a bottle of Jose Curevo. He started to hand the beer to Brenda but she shook her head. "No, actually I can't stay," Brenda said. "I just remembered I promised to cook dinner for Jason and you know he'd forget to eat if I didn't tie him down so to speak."

"Since when do you cook?" Robin asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Brenda attempted a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm learning. Things have been a lot different since we last saw each other. I've changed."

She then grabbed her purse and had walked to the door before either Robin or Patrick could say anything, and was gone before they could stop her.

XoXoXo

A single tear drop slid down Brenda's cheek as she walked down the docks, turning over the events of the day and the past few months in her mind. Things were not supposed to be this way. She was supposed to be okay and a little boy with red hair was supposed to be alive and running around chasing fly balls and playing with his little brother but nothing had worked out quite the way it was supposed to.

She dropped down onto a bench and looked up at the sky which was just beginning to darken, as was her mood. That's when she heard footsteps followed by a familiar voice simply saying her name.

"Brenda …"


	4. Who Makes You Happy Now?

**Chapter 4: Who Makes You Happy Now?**

Brenda looked up to see Him standing there. _Sonny._ Looking at her with those beautiful big brown eyes of his. He looked at her for a long moment and she stared back. There was a long moment when they just looked at each other, each lost in the pools of each other's dark eyes.

"Hey," she said finally, breaking the intense moment.

"Hey," he replied. "When did you get back into town?"

"This afternoon," Brenda said.

"What are you doing out here? Its dark and you shouldn't be out here alone this late …"

Brenda smiled thinly. "Sonny, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." How much though did she secretly want him to reach out to her, pull her into his strong arms, and tell her everything was going to be okay? How much had she missed him?

_Immeasurably ..._

"It's not safe, Bren," he said, falling back into the use of her nickname right away. She smiled a bit unconsciously, thinking it was nice to hear.

"I'm fine," Brenda said.

Sonny just nodded and pointed to the bench. "Can I?"

"Huh?"

"Sit?"

"Oh sure!" she said, scooting over to the edge of the bench as if she thought he would burn her. He probably would. He had so many times before, in so many ways. And yet she couldn't hate him for anything - she never, ever could.

"Thanks," Sonny murmured. "So…"

"So …"

They both laughed inspite of themselves. "Okay, it shouldn't be this hard to start a conversation," Brenda said. "We never had a problem before."

Sonny nodded. "I know. Maybe we said too much …"

"Things we can't take back," Brenda mused.

Sonny watched her closely and she felt her skin flush under his intense gaze. "When was I supposed to find out that you were back in town?"

Brenda swallowed deeply before answering. "You weren't."

"I wasn't supposed to find out you're in town?" Sonny asked incredulously. "Why?"

"I am only going to be here for a short while," Brenda said. "I didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest or something. I know you are grieving for your son –"

Sonny's eyes darkened at the mention of his little boy in a coma that seemed irreversible at this point. Brenda's heart went out to him and she wanted to comfort him but didn't know if it was even possible.

"Robin told you?" Sonny said simply.

"Yeah," Brenda said. "I wish I would have come when I found out but I knew I'd only get in the way."

"How can you say that, Brenda? You're practically family …"

Brenda's eyes teared up. Sonny actually thought of her as family, as someone who mattered to him. Maybe he thought of her as a cousin or worse a sister now, she thought, but sincerely hoped not.

"I'm sorry," Brenda finally said. "I'm really, really sorry. It's just … I didn't want to intrude. I didn't want to upset Carly either. I feel so badly for her, for you both." Brenda turned to face Sonny, unconsciously bringing herself closer to him. It just was so natural to be tucked in next to him …

"Now tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"How you are? Really? Please don't sugarcoat how you feel to me of all people."

Sonny laughed but there was little humor in it. "You want me to open up to you when you didn't even want me to know you're in town? Where are you staying anyway?"

"That's not important," Brenda hedged. "Just talk to me, okay? I want to help. I am sorry I wasn't going to tell you but I had my reasons."

"Which are …"

"Sonny, it's not important."

"Then what is important? Because I'm starting to feel like we're going in circles here. You're holding back somehow …"

Brenda sighed. "And you're not?"

"I'd rather talk about anything than me right now."

"Okay, I get that. Then tell me how Carly's doing."

"She's not doing too great," Sonny said. "But Jason and Jax are helping her a lot …" His voice trailed off as he realized what he had said. Who he had mentioned. One of the big elephants in the room – or on the pier, as it was.

Brenda sighed. "I know Jax and Carly are married now, Sonny. It's almost kind of funny."

"What's funny about it?"

"That he ended up with Carly, your ex, and we ended up …"

"Not together," Sonny interrupted her.

Brenda nodded. "Yeah. It's funny how things work out."

"It's not funny."

"Funny as in strange, is what I meant," Brenda said.

"How the hell did we end up here on the pier, acting practically like strangers to each other?" Sonny asked.

"I don't know … But I do know that I'm okay with Jax moving on. I mean, it just wasn't meant to be. I have accepted that."

"Good. Because Jax was never the right man for you."

Brenda scoffed. "And who was?" She hoped he would say that he was, that they belonged together like she knew in her heart they did even though they weren't going to have a chance now.

"I don't know," Sonny finally said. "But you'll find the right guy eventually. A man who will treat you with respect and like the princess you should have been …"

Brenda forced a smile to her face. "Yeah, maybe."

Sonny turned to face her again. "Now, really tell me, Bren. How are you doing?"

Brenda hesitated a moment and then forced as much brightness as she could into her voice. "Oh I'm doing just fine, Sonny, thanks for asking."

"Then why were you crying when I walked up?"

Dammit, he had seen that, Brenda realized with a start. She hoped she had ducked her head in time but should have known better than to try to hide anything from Sonny. Still she wasn't about to unload on him now. "I was just visiting Robin and they were happy tears because you know, I've missed her …"

"Uh huh," Sonny said disbelievingly. But fortunately he changed the subject – a little. "How long will you be in town?"

"For just another day or two."

"Why? Some big modeling job waiting for you back there? Maybe a man?"

For a moment there, Brenda had been sure that she heard a hint of jealousy in his voice but then was equally sure she had imagined it. She answered, "Obligations, yeah, but no special guy waiting for me."

Sonny just nodded.

"Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"I wasn't planning to do this but do you think – do you think I could go see Michael? Just visit him for a little while?"

Sonny nodded a trace of a little smile on his face. "Yeah. That would be great. I appreciate you wanting to do that."

Brenda shrugged. "He was a sweet little boy and I feel responsible for busting up his life for awhile there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know I caused major tension for you and Carly and he couldn't have been very happy about that."

Sonny reached out and tucked an errant strand of curly hair behind her ear. Her whole body tingled when the pad of his thumb brushed her earlobe but she managed not to show it.

He looked her straight in the eyes and said, "That's in the past. He had gotten used to the idea of his mom and me moving on. He actually seems to like Jax, go figure."

"So Carly moved on to happiness with Jax. What about you? Who makes you happy now?"

Sonny suddenly looked at his watch, seeming to realize something. "Oh shit," he muttered. "I was supposed to meet someone –"

Brenda's heart sank. Sonny was actually interrupting their talk for a date. She should have expected it but it hurt still nonetheless. Still she tried to reason with herself, telling herself that being away from Sonny was the best for everyone concerned.

Sonny looked over at Brenda. "I have to go. Did you drive here?"

"No, I walked."

"Let me drive you back to wherever you're staying."

"No, it's okay," Brenda said with a shake of her head. "I think I can manage to walk a few blocks."

"Bren, its dark and nobody knows better than me how dangerous it is out there."

"I'm fine, Sonny, really, okay? No worries."

She grabbed her purse and strode off before he could stop her.

XoXoXo

Sonny tried to put Brenda out of his mind as he drove back to the Greystone; he tried very hard, but it wasn't working. He had really missed her and her pretty smile and her cute, boisterous laugh. Although she really hadn't done much laughing or smiling tonight, he mused. In fact, she seemed more subdued than he had ever seen her. He thought she also looked a little pale even in the dark and he suspected something was bothering her but had no idea what.

He could have stayed on the docks all night just chatting with her but it wasn't meant to be. He had to meet up with Kate and was sure she would be pissed if he was late showing up to his own place. They were supposed to make things work between them. They had to for his sanity's sake.

He parked the Benz and got out. Right away Max met him at the gate and began to chastise him for going out without a guard. "Save it, Max," Sonny barked. "I can take care of myself. Is Kate here yet?"

Max looked down at his feet. "She is and she looks mighty pissed off."

Sonny groaned. "Great. Just great." He hurried up the front steps and into the house. He went into the study and found her pacing inside. Before he could say anything, she turned to face him and said,

"Where the hell have you been? With Carly again, I'm guessing."

Sonny fumed. How dare she act like she owned him? Sure he had hurt her but he didn't like assumptions about him or acting like she had a right to know what he did every damn second of the day.

He managed to calm himself down enough to say, almost defiantly, "Actually, Kate, I was chatting with someone else. Brenda. Brenda Barrett."


	5. Taking Things Slow

_**Thanks so much for the reviews thus far. Here's a little more!**_

**Chapter 5: Taking Things Slow**

_"Brenda Barrett?"_ Kate echoed, for a moment looking confused and then surprise and realization dawned on her face. "Oh yes, the great love of your life. The one woman you hold every woman up against and find woefully lacking. What's she doing back in town?"

Sonny sobered a bit. "Actually I don't know. I really didn't have much time to talk with her since I was hauling ass to get over here and see you."

Kate rolled her cinnamon-colored eyes and crossed her arms. "Don't let me interrupt a true love reunion," she muttered.

"Kate, look Brenda and I are in the past. So is Carly. I am ready to move forward- with you and no one else." He wasn't so sure about the first part. A part of him, he well knew, would never be able to let go of Brenda. She had captured his heart and soul at a time when he was drowning. She had saved him in more ways than one, so many, many times. But then their relationship was in the past. The very long ago past. She was leaving for Paris again in a day or two and he wasn't sure if he'd even see her again. Before he had seen her on the docks, he had been prepared to propose to Kate again and he couldn't be stopped now. He couldn't change his plans for something that wasn't meant to be.

Kate looked almost moved – almost. "Sonny," she said, "I can't trust you though. And trust is the basis of any solid relationship. You slept with two women I despise more than anything while we were together. Yes, in Carly's case I know you were hurting and needed an outlet for that pain but why god, why couldn't I have been what you needed that night?"

"You kissed Jax," Sonny pointed out. "You weren't running to me either."

"Throw that back in my face why don't you?" Kate snapped.

"And you're not throwing my indiscretions back in mine?" Sonny bellowed. Then seeing the look of anger and derision on her face, he softened his voice. Reaching for her hand, he said, "Kate, I am not a good man. I am far from perfect. I never claimed anything different but from here on out I'm committed to you and nothing will change that. Nothing. And no one …"

XoXoXo

Brenda took the long route back to Jason's penthouse not wanting to see anyone right away. She had tears on her cheeks as she rode up the elevator but did her best to rein them in. She didn't want Jason worrying more about her than he already was. The fact was she shouldn't have told him what she had told him but she had felt so lost and alone in that moment that she had just spilled her guts. Now she knew he would be all over her like white on rice to get her to take better care of herself. As if he should talk. She couldn't imagine the last time he'd thought about himself and no one else.

She opened the door to the penthouse and found Jason on the phone. His back was turned to her and she heard him say, _"__Robin, where do you think she went?"_ Brenda walked over and tapped his shoulder, nearly causing him to jump. She laughed.

"I'm right here, no worries," she said and reaching for the phone, she took it and told Robin she was fine. "No worrying okay? I am totally fine. I just got a little distracted on the way home."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean …never mind it's not important. I'll call you tomorrow. Let's go shopping."

"Okay … Take care, Bren," Robin said.

"You too. Kisses," Brenda said and hung up.

Jason was watching her closely. "You were supposed to call me to pick you up."

Brenda waved her hand. "I'm fine. No worse for wear. See?" She said, twirling around and making a pouty smile.

"You should be taking care of yourself," Jason said. "Where have you been all this time?"

"With Sonny."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Wow, you went to see him after all?"

"No," Brenda said with a shake of her curls. "I ran into him on the docks."

"How'd it go between you two?"

Brenda sighed. "It was awkward alright but damn, at the same time, it's like practically no time has passed. I realized tonight that he's in my soul and I'm never going to stop loving him." Tears sprung to her eyes. "And I swear to god it hurts so badly because I know we're never going to get another chance to make things right."

Jason walked over to her and lightly hugged her, surprising the hell out of her. But she appreciated it. She appreciated his friendship and knew if anyone understood the complicated relationship she had with Sonny, it would be Jason.

XoXoXo

"Sonny, I …" Kate started, at first not knowing quite what to say to his declaration that he was committed to her. "I know you think you mean that but..."

Sonny shook his head as he poured himself a glass of brandy. "You think I don't know what I mean?"

"I just think …" She threw up her hands. "Dammit, I don't know what I think." He thought he heard tears in her voice but when he turned to look, she looked stoic and haughty as ever. Still her voice was quiet as she said, "I just want to make things right between us but I don't know if it's possible. I want you to be Michael and sometimes I want to be Connie from the block … But we both know we can't go back."

"We can't go back, we can only move forward," Sonny said.

"You sound like a Hallmark card," Kate said with the barest hint of a smile.

Sonny smiled a bit too and then sobered. "Kate, it's the truth. I'm committed to making things work between us. I really am, if you are."

Kate seemed to take an inordinately long time before she finally spoke. "Okay … I guess we can try. But we have to take it slow. No rushing for the aisle before we're ready."

Sonny nodded. "Okay, if that's what you want."

"It has to be," Kate said. "It doesn't matter what I want right now. I have to think with my head here. My heart is screaming to jump into your arms right now but my head is making me play it smart."

Sonny nodded again. "I understand, I really do. And we'll take it as fast or as slow as you want to ... I have all the time in the world."

XoXoXo

_The next morning…_

Brenda woke from a deep sleep with a pounding headache but managed to stumble to the bathroom and take her pills to make that and the nausea she was also feeling go away.

She then took a long, hot shower and dressed slowly in jeans and a white tank top with a sweater pulled over it. She pulled her thick hair up into a bun and went downstairs. She wasn't dressed for glamour that day but she didn't mind. She didn't want to be vain and only care about her looks when there was so much already on the table to deal with.

She had made plans to go shopping and out to lunch with Robin at one and had the whole morning to while away. She saw Jason walk into the living room and look at her nonchalantly. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," she said back. "I was wondering something."

"Yeah?"

"I want to see Michael this morning. Do you think that would be possible?"

Jason simply nodded.

Later, Jason and Brenda walked into the full-term care facility and Brenda took a deep breath as he led her into the little boy's room. She immediately stiffened when she saw who was already inside.


	6. A Hand to Take Hold of the Situtation

**_Here's more. I hope you all enjoy this chapter._**

**Chapter 6: A Hand to Take Hold of the Situation**

Carly looked at Brenda with cold blue eyes and then fixed her stare on Jason. "What is she doing here?" Carly demanded.

"Carly, I didn't come here to fight," Brenda spoke up before Jason could answer. "I just came to see Michael."

"Why? Why the hell do you want to see my son?"

"Because, Carly, I feel badly for him."

Carly stared at Brenda with narrowing eyes and an ice cold expression on her face. "My son doesn't need your pity."

"It's not pity," Brenda said. "I just can imagine how scared he must be trapped inside his own body and –"

"Go, Brenda, just go!" Carly bellowed.

Jason held up a hand. "Carly, don't act like this. Not here, in front of Michael."

Carly's eyes welled with angry tears. "Oh what's the difference? It's not like he knows we're here anyway."

Jason shook his head. "When did you stop believing in him?"

"I haven't; its just –" Carly's voice trailed off and she pushed past Brenda and Jason and stalked from the room in obvious tears.

Brenda looked at Jason. "You should go after her," she said. "I'll wait in the lobby."

"No, you stay here," Jason said. "I'm sure Michael will appreciate hearing a friendly voice and Carly didn't mean to take everything out on you, she's just really stressed out."

"Of course she meant it. She hates me."

Jason sighed. "Just stay here please with Michael while I find Carly."

Brenda simply nodded and watched Jason walk out before she moved over to Michael's bedside and looked at the little boy. A boy who seemed caught forever between childhood and adolescence, likely never to grow up…

_No, don't think that way, Brenda,_ she told herself. _He will wake up. He's strong. He's Sonny's son – maybe not by blood but he's a fighter. He's got Carly in him too so he has the willpower to survive. He just needs to come out of it._

Having mentally counseled herself, she slipped into a chair beside Michael's bedside and took his hand. "Hey, Michael, it's Brenda Barrett. Remember me? The thorn in your mom's side?" she chuckled a little at that. "Wow, it's been so long since I've seen you but you look so handsome. You were getting ready to become a teenager and chase girls I bet - chase girls and make your parents hair turn gray. You can still do all that you know? If you just open those eyes of yours and see what a big world is out there waiting for you to take it by storm."

She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "I bet you're scared. I bet you're thinking there's no hope but there always is hope for you. There has to be because you are much too young to spend your life like this. It's no life actually. Your mom and your brother - they need you so much. They love you so much. And your dad – well, I saw him last night and he's not doing so good. He looks really tired and sad. They all need you. So does Jason and your grandma and grandpa. Like I said I know you're scared because I can relate to that feeling. Right now I feel so scared and everyone believes I'm fearless but –"

"What are you scared of, Bren?" a familiar voice asked.

Brenda jumped so much she nearly toppled her chair over. She saw him standing in the doorway, watching her intently. "Sonny," she said quickly trying to dash the tears away although she knew it was too late; that he had already seen them.

"Uh, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," he said walking into the room and doffing his coat on another chair. He moved over to the other side of Michael's bed and took his son's hand, squeezing it. "Hey, buddy," he said and Brenda could hear the fatigue and the sadness and the anger in his voice that his beloved son was being cheated out of a great life.

Brenda thought about leaving and letting Sonny see his son on his own but she didn't feel somehow that that was the right move to make. Maybe she didn't want it to be. Maybe she wanted to stay as close to him as she possibly could right now. He needed someone; she needed someone. Maybe for a moment they could be there for each other like they used to be.

She slowly held her hand out to Sonny and waited to see if he would take it. He looked at her and then at her hand and up again into her eyes and she smiled in spite of herself. He was looking at her with appreciation and care, almost like he used to.

He closed the distance between their fingers and took her hand. "I don't know why you wanted to come here so much, Brenda, but I'm glad you did."

A tear fell down Brenda's cheek and she just nodded as if to say _"__me too."_

They stood there for the longest time in silence watching the little boy Sonny loved with all his heart looking so calm and almost peaceful that he could have been sleeping. Then Brenda turned to look at Sonny again and saw his eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "I'm here if you need me, Sonny," she offered. "If you want to talk..."

"For how long, Brenda? How long are you going to be around this time?"

"I wish I knew," Brenda said honestly, almost vaguely. "But I'm here now if you need me."

He simply nodded and then squeezed her hand again. They heard a noise at the door and then Carly's voice screeching, "Great, just great! They're having a little romantic liaison at my comatose son's beside."

Brenda stiffened and immediately dropped Sonny's hand. Or maybe he did first. It happened so quickly that she couldn't be sure but she did know that she ached for his warm hand covering hers, ached for his touch and so many things that could never be again.

Jason spoke up first. "Carly, I thought you said you would calm down."

"That's before I found out Sonny was here and found them holding hands like two lovesick teenagers."

"What are you talking about?" A familiar Australian-accented voice said from outside the door.

Brenda swallowed deeply as Jax then entered the room and laid eyes on Brenda. His blue eyes went wide in shock and surprise and he looked between her and Sonny and back again. Brenda had a feeling this was going to be more than a bit awkward, to say the least …


	7. Stuck With Me

**Chapter 7: Stuck With Me**

Kate walked out to her car that morning to head to the office when she noticed something different about the vehicle. It didn't strike her at first and then her eyes narrowed and zeroed in on the lines scratched into the side of her gray Cadillac. She cursed as she ran her thumb over the scarred, jagged metal. She had barely had it five months and someone had gone and ruined it. _Dammit._

She immediately opened her Kate Spade red crushed velvet handbag and started to dial. "911. What's your emergency?"

"Someone keyed my car and –" she looked at the hood of the car – "and stole my hood ornament!"

XoXoXo

"Brenda?" Jax said, eyes widening like he couldn't quite believe what – or who – he was seeing. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing through," Brenda said with a little shrug. "How are you, Jax?"

"He's fine, now go, Bren-duh," Carly hissed.

"Carly –" Jason started but she waved him off.

"Go, Brenda, no one wants you here."

"I do," Sonny said. "I want her here and I am sure Michael would want her here too, supporting him and encouraging him. He needs all the good thoughts he can get."

"Sonny, do you not remember how Brenda nearly destroyed our marriage? Or you just don't care?" Carly demanded.

Sonny shook his head. "Me and you – we destroyed it ourselves."

"What about Jax?" Carly spat, seeming unable to stop her verbal onslaught. Or maybe she just didn't want to. All Brenda knew was that she was making a huge scene.

"What about how she made Jax feel?" Carly asked.

"What about how Jax made _her_ feel? Humiliating her in public at what was supposed to be their wedding," Sonny shot back.

Jax finally spoke again, looking at Sonny like he wanted to seriously maim him. "You know nothing about that so just shut your mouth."

"I would rather shut yours – permanently," Sonny said.

"Oh yes. When things aren't going your way, resort to violence, Sonny. That always makes things better," Jax scoffed.

Brenda threw up her hands. "Can we not do this in front of Michael? This cannot be good for him or any of us actually."

Carly glared at her. "Well aren't you self-righteous?" She sneered. "I won't ask you again to leave. If you don't, I'll drag you out by your hair."

Brenda rolled her eyes and started for the door. Behind her, she heard Sonny say, "He's my son too. I can decide who comes to visit him."

"No, Sonny, you lost the right to have anything to do with Michael, my son, when you got him shot protecting your latest squeeze toy," Carly screeched.

Brenda heard a hiss of breath and then silence descended inside the room. She peeked back inside to see Sonny grabbing his coat and striding towards the door.

He brushed past her and instinctively, she called after him. "Sonny … Sonny!"

He didn't turn around, just kept walking and she instinctively followed him. She knew him well enough to know that he wanted to be alone at a time like this, but she also knew herself and knew that she just couldn't let him walk away and stew by himself. He needed someone and she wanted to be that someone. Even if just for a moment …

XoXoXo

A police cruiser pulled up in front of Kate's condo and right away she started to bark at whoever was driving. She couldn't see them inside the tinted windows but she would make sure they heard her. "What the hell took so long? I'm a very busy woman and I don't take lightly to being –"

She stopped her rant for a moment as she noticed Detective Harper, or Detective Ass, as she secretly thought of him, climb out of the cruiser. "Well it would be you of all people," she snapped. "You just take your sweet time coming and going as you please."

"I was busy," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry, detective, did I interrupt your donut break?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

He just smirked and pulled a little notepad out of his jacket pocket. "Where's your car?"

"Right there," she said, pointing just a few feet away where the car door was obviously opened. "Are you sure you're a cop?"

"I prefer police officer," he said dryly.

"I prefer you found out who did this to me," Kate said, stomping her foot a bit.

He rolled his eyes at her as he slipped on gloves he pulled from his pocket and closed the door so he could get a better look. "It's been keyed," he pronounced.

"No, you don't say," Kate snarked. "I already reported that when I called 911."

"Yeah about that, Kate –"

"Its Ms. Howard to you."

_"Kate,"_ he went on, purposefully pissing her off even more. "You can't call 911 every time someone pisses you off. I mean, we are solving murders and real crimes."

Kate scoffed. "Real crimes? Please. This is a real crime. Just like my stolen designs."

"Did you ever find them by the way?"

"No, I did not. Because someone took them and probably they'll show up in the competition's spring issue."

"Well then we'll actually have a lead," Harper said, leaning over and running his gloved thumb across the damaged car door.

"At least tell me you're going to take prints this time," she said.

"I take it you want me to."

He smirked. She hated that smirk, she decided. "Yes, that would be just swell, Deputy Fife."

He chuckled. "Where did this disdain for police officers come from? Did you get it from being the local mob kingpin's latest kept woman?"

Kate wanted to kick the hell out of him for that but somehow resisted, simply saying, "I never disliked cops until I met you. Now hurry up. I have to get to work. And you'd better find out who is doing these things to me or I'll call your superior and have you relieved off your badge."

He just laughed out loud in response.

XoXoXo

"Sonny! _Sonny!"_ Brenda said, running after him as he slid into his limo. He started to shut the door but she slipped her leg inside before he could. It stung a bit but she managed not to show it.

"Brenda, what do you want?" He asked with a sigh.

"Not for you to be alone when you obviously need someone." She said. "Now scoot over."

To her surprise, he actually moved over on the backseat and she climbed in beside him, shutting the door, careful not to bang her fingers too. "Where are we going?" She asked, buckling her seatbelt.

_"I_ was going back to my place," Sonny said.

"Great! I'd love to see the new place," she said, trying to sound chipper. "I heard you moved to a stylin' neighborhood."

He sighed. "You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"

Brenda shook her head resolutely. "Nope. You're stuck with me. For now anyway ..."


	8. Interruptions

_**Thank you for all of the comments thus far. I am glad people are seeming to enjoy this! Here's more.**_

**Chapter 8: Interruptions**

Brenda followed Sonny into his house, the one he called the Greystone. She admired the high ceilings and the dark brocade curtains and the deck that overlooked the woods. "Nice place," she murmured, as she took the liberty of examining every inch of it.

"Thanks …"

Sonny turned to watch her as she explored the downstairs area. He poured himself a glass of brandy and thought to himself how strange and surreal it was to have Brenda here after all this time. He had almost believed that he would never see her again. Now here she was and he wanted to push her away as much as he wanted to pull her closer …

Still he managed by sheer force of will to resist either impulse. He studied her as she flitted around the house, picking things up and touching them like she was trying to memorize every last nook and cranny. She looked as beautiful as she ever did, even dressed casually in jeans and a sweater. Her face was paler than it used to be but he figured she didn't get out into the sun a lot with her busy schedule. She looked good, damned good. She hadn't aged a second. It was like time had frozen her beauty in a wholly natural way.

"Brenda?" He said.

She stopped what she had been doing and turned around to look at him. Her cheeks had a little color in them as they locked eyes, studying each other as if for the first time. "Hmm?"

"Why didn't you attack Carly back there, for everything she said?"

Brenda's face twitched a bit and he could see she was holding back a smile. "I am sort of surprised you'd want me to attack her."

"No. I'm just surprised. The old Brenda would have torn her apart."

Brenda smirked for a moment at the idea of getting a chance to wail on Carly, and then sobered a bit. "I've changed. A lot of stuff has happened that made me put my life in perspective."

"Hmm, like what?" He asked, watching her closely.

"You do ask a lot of questions, Mr. Nosy," she said. She walked over to the wet bar and poured herself a drink.

"Talk to me," he said. "I can tell something is bothering you."

Brenda shook her head. "Nothing's bothering me and I didn't come here to talk about me."

Sonny nodded slowly. "So why did you come?"

XoXoXo

Kate finally made it to the office an hour later. She had spent most of the time she could have been working, arguing with that good-for-nothing windbag Detective Harper. He probably thought trading barbs with someone of the opposite sex was some kind of sexual foreplay. _What an ass!_ She thought, not for the first time.

She climbed off the elevator and noticed Maxie was sitting at her desk filing her nails. She should have fired her the last time she screwed up but today she didn't have the energy. Instead she barked, "Get back to work, Miss Jones!" and then marched into her office, slamming the door behind her.

Immediately she noticed a familiar looking envelope on her desk and gingerly lifted it up, opening the seal. Immediately her hands closed around a disk – the one marked with her own writing. This was the copy of the spring layout she had searched high and low for. Where the hell had it suddenly appeared from?

She pressed the buzzer on her phone. "Maxie, get in here!" she bellowed.

A second later a repentant-looking Maxie hurried into the room. "Can I help you, Kate?"

"Yes. Please tell me where this came from?" Kate said, waving the disk in Maxie's face.

"Ohmigod! Is that the backup disk for the spring layout?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"I recognized your um, hieroglyphics," Maxie said. Indeed, Kate did have sloppy penmanship when she thought no one would see it.

"Okay but where did it come from?" Kate demanded.

"I don't know."

"So you haven't been in my office this morning? Has anyone? Because this was definitely not here last night."

Maxie looked at her like she had genuinely flipped her lid. "Kate, I haven't been in your office. No one else has been that I've noticed either."

Kate sniffed and waved her hand. "You can go now," Kate said. "Just don't tell anyone about this just now. But do get back to work!"

Maxie nodded and slipped out of her office while Kate walked over to her desktop and slid the disk into the drive. It immediately showed what she had thought it would: the spring layout designs were all there in black, white, pink, red, royal blue and more beautiful colors.

She should have been relieved but she wasn't. She couldn't help but wonder if she was going crazy or if someone was out to sabotage her.

XoXoXo

"Why did I come?" Brenda echoed Sonny's question, as she turned to face him.

Sonny nodded. "Yeah. That's what I asked."

"I don't know. Because I was stupid enough to think you might need a friend when you're hurting so much. And don't deny it, because you _are_ hurting. I can see it in the way you carry yourself, just by the look in your eyes."

"You're not stupid," Sonny said, sitting down on the sofa. "I never said that and you should know by now that I don't think it."

Brenda smiled a little. "Oh come on. I've done really stupid things in the past."

"And I haven't?" Sonny exclaimed.

"Okay, we both have, but you still have so much to live for, Sonny. Please don't shut down on the people who need and love you. Just be good to yourself."

"Why does this sound like some kind of goodbye?" He asked, watching her closely as she came to rest on the edge of the sofa arm. They were just mere inches apart and he could so easily have lifted her up and set her on his lap and kissed her blind but he didn't try it and she made no move towards him.

Brenda looked down at her lap for a long moment. "Because, Sonny, it sort of is …"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean … I'm going back to Paris in a day or so. I already felt like I've overstayed my welcome –"

He held up a hand. "How can you even say that? You're always welcome here. This is your _home._ You're as much my family as anyone else."

Brenda's eyes misted with more tears and she quickly tried to dash them away but he reached for her hand, squeezing it. "A lot of people want you around, Brenda."

"A lot of people want me gone, too."

"Well screw them. You go ahead and live big and bold like you always did and tell them to go to hell. Don't start hiding from the world now."

Brenda looked at him pointedly. "I could say the same about you. Don't tell me you haven't been hiding out from the world, scared to feel or love someone because I know you better than that. Sonny, you deserve to be happy. Torturing yourself over what happened to Michael … that's no good. It brings you nothing but misery. You just have to have faith. You just have to believe things will work out the way they are supposed to."

"How would you recommend that I get over what happened to Michael? Any ideas? And what about you, Bren, do you have that 'divine' faith? Do you believe things will magically get better? If you do, I've got a bridge in a swamp to sell to you."

Brenda shook her head. "Things are different with me. You have so much more to live for."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, almost sounding angry.

"Sonny, you have two boys, a daughter and a father who loves you. You have so much."

Sonny wanted to scream at her then. Say, _the one thing I don't have is you, _but he didn't. He kept quiet on that matter.

"Just because you don't have some of those things now, doesn't mean you never will, Brenda," he said finally. "You can still have it all – and so much more because you deserve so much more than me. You're a good person. You always have been and you always will be. If either of us deserves true happiness, you know it should be you."

Brenda simply sat there watching him and he stared back. They were lost in the pools of pain in each other's eyes, each saw the longing and the desire in the other's but neither could make a move, neither dared ruin this moment.

Finally though, Sonny broke eye contact with Brenda just long enough to inch forward towards her on the sofa. His hand slowly moved to cup her cheek, her warm skin making the pads of his fingertips tingle. She leaned a bit more into him so that their lips were only a whispers breadth apart. So close that they could …

"_Sonny!"_ A brusque female voice said. "Sonny, are you here?"

The door to the den clattered open just as Brenda and Sonny jumped apart. Brenda nearly landed hard on her ass getting away from Sonny.

Sonny was both pissed off and grateful for the interruption. He had been about to do something he knew he shouldn't and kissing Brenda would have been no good for anyone in the long run no matter how good it would have felt to feel her lips crashed up against his, feeling her warmth and vitality come through her like life's blood …

He shook his head. "Kate, what are you doing here?" He finally asked.

Kate glared at the two of them. "Better question, Sonny, what is that woman doing here, _alone,_ with you?"


	9. Let the Past Stay in the Past

_**So this chapter is very angsty. Maybe even to the point of pissing you all off but I swear there is a reason for it all and it moves the story. Just know that Sonny will do a lot of making up to do with Brenda- kissing and making up that is. Thanks in advance to my wonderful readers. You all rock!**_

**Chapter 9: Let the Past Stay in the Past **

"Kate, what are you doing here?"

"Better question, Sonny, what is that woman doing here, alone, with you?"

"Kate, please don't take that attitude with me," Sonny said. "Just calm down. This is an old … friend of mine. Brenda Barrett."

Brenda pursued her lips and tried her damndest to not look affected by that statement. Sonny knew they had never been just friends, never could be "just" friends with their potent history.

"I know who she is," Kate said. "Everyone knows who she is. She's a legend in these parts." She sniffed like she smelled something bad.

Brenda held out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kate; Sonny has told me so much about you." Lie. Big, fat dirty lie that felt like backed up bile spitting off of her tongue. Sonny hadn't mentioned this woman, not even in passing, but apparently they meant something to each other.

"Really? Has he?" Kate said. "He has mentioned you a lot of times too."

Brenda nodded. She supposed hearing that Sonny had spoken of her to his new lady love should comfort her somehow but it didn't. Not at all. "Only good things I hope …"

"The way he talked about you … Oh yes, only good things," Kate said, looking pissed to have to admit that.

Sonny finally spoke up and looked at Brenda, almost apologetically. "Bren, do you need a ride somewhere?"

Brenda about choked on her own tongue. She was being dismissed. She was actually being dismissed when not five minutes ago he had been about to kiss her. Or maybe not. Maybe she had imagined the whole thing, though she doubted it because her face still tingled from where he had cupped her cheek.

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine," Brenda said, starting for the door.

"Bren, let Max take you wherever you need to go," Sonny called after her.

Brenda shook her head. "No, I'm a big girl, Sonny." She forced a smile and looked at Kate. "It was nice to meet you …" She lied through her pearly whites.

"Likewise," Kate said, clearly lying as well.

Brenda quickly shuffled out of the house and walked down the driveway. Tears collected in the corners of her eyes and she willed herself not to cry. Brenda Barrett was strong. Brenda Barrett was brave. Little things like this did not bring her to tears, did not get her down.

But as she walked through the quiet streets, she cried nonetheless, feeling somehow like she would never stop.

XoXoXo

As soon as Brenda was gone, Sonny turned to Kate and glared at her. "Why did you have to be so damn rude to her?"

"Oh excuse me if I didn't welcome your 'old friend' with open arms, Sonny," Kate said with anger apparent in her voice. "I guess I was a little caught off guard to find you two alone, looking so close and intimate. Forgive me for not being a welcoming, delightful presence."

Sonny sighed. "You still didn't have to be rude," he huffed.

Kate glared at him and then her expression went slack. "Was she telling the truth, Sonny?"

"About what?"

"Have you mentioned me, even in passing to her? Did she really know who I was?"

Sonny looked down at his feet for a moment and then back up at her. "It doesn't matter now."

Kate rolled her eyes, her expression haughty as ever, but her voice took on a quieter, almost vulnerable edge. "Of course it matters, Sonny. Of course it does."

Sonny reached for Kate's hand and she about slapped it away. "Please don't touch me," she said hoarsely.

"Kate, Brenda and me … we're in the past," Sonny said. "You're my future now."

"I wish I could really believe that," Kate said and then turned on her heel and marched out of the room. He thought about going after her but didn't. She needed time to cool off and then hopefully she would come to her senses. Honestly, he was more worried about Brenda at the moment. She had tried to hide it well but he had seen the look of devastation in her eyes when he stupidly referred to her as his old friend. What the hell had he been thinking? He had hurt her and Kate at the same time. He felt like a complete bastard.

He walked over to the wet bar and started to pour himself another glass of brandy but thought better of it. Instead, he walked over to his desk phone and dialed a phone number.

XoXoXo

Brenda climbed off the elevator and walked into the penthouse. She found Jason sitting at his desk studying some papers. He looked up when she entered. "Hey," he said, immediately noticing the streaks of mascara on her face. "What's wrong?"

Brenda threw her purse down on the couch and shook her head. "Nothing," she muttered.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Jason observed.

Brenda almost glared at him. "Please don't play psychotherapist with me, Jason. The look doesn't suit you."

"Bad day?" He observed without giving her comeback too much thought. "What happened with Sonny?"

"None of your business," she snapped.

"Okay …"

Brenda shook her head and ran a hand through her thick hair. "Look, I'm sorry okay? You're right. I have had a kind of rotten day."

Jason just nodded and waited for her to go on. "There was something there with Sonny. That old connection was between us. I felt it and I know he felt it but then … He just shut down on me. Just like a flick of a light switch really."

"I'm sorry," Jason said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, me too," Brenda said. "Look I don't want to talk about it. I just want a drink and then to go to bed for a long sleep."

"Lemme get you something," he said.

"Thanks. And if you have any saltine crackers throw them my way too please," she called after him.

He looked alarmed. "You're not feeling well are you? You should be resting."

"I'm fine. Just a little nauseous but it will pass. It's probably because I haven't eaten all day."

He looked skeptical but nodded and walked into the kitchen. Brenda kicked off her shoes and got as comfortable as she could on the sofa. He walked back into the room holding a beer and a box of Ritz crackers. "Sorry that is all I have."

She took them and smiled. "It's okay." She took a long sip of the beer and then opened the box of crackers. Immediately she bit into one and felt like she was going to bust a tooth on the hard and stale cracker. "Jason?" she said.

"How old are these?"

"I don't know. A year maybe. Are they okay?"

Brenda just chuckled. "They'll do."

The phone suddenly rang and Jason reached for it. "Morgan," he said. He listened for a bit and then held it out to Brenda. "It's for you."

Brenda shook her head. "Tell them I'm in the shower or something. I don't feel like talking."

Jason shook his head and brought the phone over to Brenda. "Just talk," he commanded lightly.

She glared at him and then took the phone. _"Hello?"_

XoXoXo

Robin hung up the phone and looked over at Patrick who was watching her intently. "So what did she say?" He asked.

"It took a good hour but she says she'll do it, just for me."

"Did she suspect you were being Sonny Corinthos's errand girl?" He asked with a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"Probably. She knows me too well."

"So she's going to be your maid of honor after all? That's good."

Robin nodded. "Yeah … It's just not like her to be so reluctant to do something like this. I can't help but think something is bothering her or something is wrong."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure but the wedding is just a week away and we need to finish the seating chart."

"Yeah, try not to put the mobsters with their enemies," Patrick joked.

"Very funny."

"It should be a very interesting day," Patrick said.

"To say the least …"


	10. Catch Me Before I Fall

_**This chapter is admittedly very sad but remember it's always darkest before the dawn...**_

**Chapter 10: Catch Me before I Fall**

Brenda woke up to a blinding headache and more nausea. The pain and the fatigue had become much worse in the past few days and she knew the time was imminent. But she forced herself out of bed despite her aching body and padded down the hall to the bathroom. She threw some cold water on her face and brushed her teeth slowly, nearly gagging on the taste of the minty paste. She came out of the bathroom just as Jason was coming down the hall in his standard blue jeans and gray tee-shirt.

"You look green," he said immediately.

Brenda rolled her eyes. "You always were a sweet talker, weren't you, Morgan?"

"Seriously you look awful. I mean, no offense …"

Brenda could have hit him if she had the strength but her arms felt like too deadweights hanging at her sides. She had never felt more ill or miserable.

"You should go back to bed, I'll bring you some cereal or something," Jason said, looking cool and collected as always but she could see there was a bit panic of in his crystalline blue eyes.

"I can't stomach the thought of eating. Besides I have to be to the church at eight-thirty sharp or Robin will kill me."

Jason looked at his watch. "Its eight-fifteen."

Brenda's eyes widened. _"Ohmigod!_ Ohmigod. I'm going to be so late. What kind of maid of honor am I?"

"I think Robin will understand under the circumstances …"

"Just get the truck gassed up, Jason, you have to get me to the church on time." Brenda then turned and walked as fast as she could back down the hall to put on her dress and some makeup that would hopefully make her look less "green".

XoXoXo

Brenda walked into the church and sighed. She smoothed down her royal blue dress and walked towards the bridal vestibule. It was three minutes to nine o'clock and she knew Robin, being Robin, would be in a panic.

She pasted on a smile and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard Anna's English-accented voice call.

Brenda took a deep breath and walked inside, shutting the door behind her. She spotted Robin sitting at the vanity table looking depressed. Her face brightened though when she spotted Brenda. "You're here!"

"You know I wouldn't miss this for the world," Brenda said. She walked over and kissed Robin on the cheek then looked her over. "Ohmigod, Robs, you look so beautiful!" she exclaimed, willing herself not to puke all over Robin's beautiful white dress.

Robin scoffed. "I look like a huge white whale," she said, looking at herself in the mirror with a frown on her face.

"You know that's a lie," Brenda said. "Look as your maid of honor, I refuse to let you sulk on your wedding day."

"Take your friend's advice, Robin," Anna said. "No one likes a pouty puss as your father would say."

Brenda turned and smiled at Anna. "It's so good to see you again. It's been awhile, huh?"

"Yes it has," Anna said and kissed Brenda's cheek. "Three years or so since I came to see Robin in Paris and we all walked along the river eating ice cream cones."

"We looked so American," Brenda said with a little laugh.

"You two did anyway," Anna said. "Look, Brenda, will you stay with the bride while I go round up the troops?"

"The bridal party?"

"Yes," Anna said with a chuckle.

"I would love some time alone with my little sister," Brenda said.

"Thank you," Anna said and kissing Robin's cheek she walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"You look beautiful, really you do, Robin," Brenda said. "Pattycakes is going to melt when he sees you."

"I just hope he doesn't get cold feet."

"No way. I can tell he's in it for the long run." Brenda walked over to Robin and touched her shoulder. "I am so happy for you. You deserve all of this and so much more."

"You'll have it all one day too, Bren," Robin said.

Brenda nodded too quickly. "I hope so…"

Robin watched Brenda's eyes fill with tears. "Are you okay, Bren? Is something bothering you?"

"No, of course not. It's just this whole day. I'm so happy for you."

"So those are happy tears?" Robin asked, sounding skeptical.

Brenda nodded. "Definitely. Now, look what I've brought you," she said in an attempt to change the subject to a more comfortable one. "The official bridal bag."

"The bridal bag?"

"You know the maid of honor needs to do the whole 'something old, something new ...' shtick."

"You didn't have to do that. It's enough that you're here and sharing this day with me."

"Oy, don't make me cry again, Robs." Brenda handed Robin the pretty decorated white bag. "Open."

Robin smiled. "Thanks so much." She opened it and pulled out the first item. "Ohmigod, Brenda, you didn't …"

Brenda laughed. "I so did. It's a maternity one."

Robin held up the silk blue chemise. "Ohmigod I can't wear this when I'm this pregnant."

"Yes you can! And that's your something new and something blue. I thought I'd be practical," Brenda laughed.

"This is hardly practical," Robin said but she was smiling.

"Keep going. There's more."

Robin smiled. "I'm afraid to look …"

"There is nothing else so risqué," Brenda said.

"Good." Robin opened the bag and pulled out the next item. It was a little white choker necklace with a little silver heart dangling from it. "This looks familiar …"

"It should. Remember I borrowed it once from you? Well I'm finally returning it so there's your something old and something borrowed too."

Robin laughed. "You shouldn't have," she said facetiously but was smiling.

"Well that's my something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new …"

"There's one more thing," Brenda said. "It's at the very bottom."

Robin reached deep into the bag and pulled out a little picture of her and Brenda. "I remember this," Robin said. "We took this not long after Stone died. You said we would always have memories and life was too short to take for granted …"

Robin's eyes filled with tears and she reached out and embraced Brenda. "Thank you, this means so much to me. Sometimes I took for granted the way you've always been there for me."

"I did the same," Brenda said wiping her own teary eyes. "Damn, you're making my makeup run."

"Sorry," Robin said with a little smile. "Look I have a gift for you too."

"Robin, I don't need a gift. It's your wedding day."

"Just listen. Patrick and I were going to wait to ask you after our muffin was born but now is as good a time as any …"

"What?"

"Bren, will you be my baby girl's godmother?"

"Oh, Robin, no. There must be someone else …"

"You're the one we wanted. We want our muffin to grow up and have a wonderful woman like you in her life."

"Robs …"

"Please say 'yes'."

Brenda paused and then nodded. "Okay … If that's what you really want."

"It's what I really want," Robin said.

Brenda and her hugged again and Robin said, "Well are we ready to get this show on the road?"

The nausea had returned but Brenda nodded. "Yeah just let me use the restroom first and then we can do this thing. Congrats, little sister."

"Thank you, Brenda. You being here on my special day means the world to me."

XoXoXo

Brenda went to the restroom and swallowed down a menagerie of pills with the acidic-tasting tap water. Then she headed back to the bridal room, only to discover Sonny was inside. "Dammit," she cursed under her breath.

Sonny looked up as she shut the door behind herself and they locked eyes. He looked at her for a long moment before she broke eye contact. "You look beautiful, Bren," he said.

Brenda looked at Robin. "I thought you said he couldn't make it."

Robin looked down at the floor. "Change of plans?" she said weakly.

"Ugh, Robin! Why are you doing this to me?" she demanded. "I don't need you playing matchmaker."

"Hey, don't yell at her," Sonny interrupted. "It was my idea."

Brenda stared at him harshly. "Why? Why would you do this?"

"Because I felt bad about what happened the other night, dismissing you the way I did. I wanted a chance to talk to you and I knew you wouldn't let me talk to you unless –"

"You blind-sided me," Brenda said.

"No, that's not what I meant."

Brenda's headache had returned tenfold and she was no longer able to speak or she would throw up. Her eyes misted with tears and she felt herself begin to pitch forward. She felt Sonny catch her before she hit the ground and the last thing she heard was Robin screaming and Sonny's voice saying, _"Brenda, talk to me, honey. Open your eyes …"_


	11. Some Answers and More Questions

_***I am not a medical person in any way, shape or form so forgive me for any errors. By the way, I want to thank everyone who is reading and reviewing this!***_

**Chapter 11: Some Answers and More Questions**

"What's wrong with her?" Sonny asked for seemingly the hundredth time as he held Brenda's limp hand and jogged along with the paramedics who were pushing the stretcher through the ER. He had insisted on riding in the ambulance with Brenda and had worried the whole time about her when she barely moved and her breathing was shallow despite the ventilation mask over her face.

"I don't know, sir," the testy male paramedic said again. "She's here now so the doctors will check her out."

Dr. Leo Julian had been paged in advance to let him know that Brenda was being brought in by ambulance. He had a team of nurses surrounding him and barked at the paramedics to get her to the exam room immediately.

Sonny tried to follow but Leo cut him off at the pass. "I'm sorry but you can't go in there now. I need to do a thorough examination and can't have you impeding it in any way."

"I won't impede it," Sonny barked and then felt himself being pulled backwards by strong arms. He turned to see Jason standing behind him.

"Let them do their job," Jason said.

Sonny sighed and watched as Leo hurried away.

"I see you got my message," Sonny said, starting to pace, back and forth, back and forth, around the small waiting room.

"Yeah, I did."

"Bren's been staying with you, right?"

Jason simply nodded.

"Well did she tell you if anything was wrong with her, if she was sick?"

"Sonny, I think she should be the one to tell you," Jason said.

"How is she going to tell me when she's practically taking her last breath right now?" Sonny demanded, tempted to grab Jason and shake the truth out of him.

Just then Robin appeared at their sides in her rumpled wedding gown and surprisingly pled Jason's case. "Don't shoot the messenger, Sonny," she said.

Sonny whirled around to face her. "Dammit, Robin, did you know too?"

Robin shook her head slowly. "No. Because if I did I never would have pushed her so hard to be my maid of honor." She started to cry and Sonny reached out for her. They hugged for the longest time.

XoXoXo

Patrick had arrived at the hospital with Robin and went right to work on Brenda, ordering blood work and a full panel of other tests, as if Leo were not there. He knew Robin and her friends were all congregated out in the waiting room but he had no time to go out there and inform them what was wrong although he had no idea at that point.

Brenda was in and out of consciousness and when Patrick tried to speak to her, she couldn't seem to talk much. He could see she was definitely in pain so he administered a mild sedative to hopefully relax her. He knew Robin wanted to be in here with him, working side-by-side on her friend, but he also knew she couldn't stay objective where her best friend was concerned and that she was also busy trying to talk Sonny Corinthos down from the proverbial ledge.

Nurse Nadine Crowell finally walked into the room with a packet of x-rays. He practically ripped them from her hand and put them up on the screen, knowing time was of the essence. He immediately saw the problem. It was clearly there in black and white.

XoXoXo

Patrick walked out of the room and was nearly assaulted by Brenda's friends, all of them demanding to know what was wrong with her. He held up a hand and backed up a bit. "You know I can't violate doctor-patient confidentiality. If she wants to tell you, she will."

Sonny practically hissed at Patrick. "That's bullshit."

Patrick sighed. "I understand you're upset, Mr. Corinthos, but this is standard hospital procedure. We can't go around revealing people's diagnoses or we'd have huge lawsuits on our hands."

Sonny sneered. "Is that all you care about? Keeping your damn hands clean?"

Patrick didn't answer that, just turned to face the rest of the group. "Brenda is resting now; I gave her a sedative but someone can go in and sit with her for a little while. A very little while," he stressed.

Robin and Jason looked at each other and nodded to Sonny. "Sonny," Robin spoke up. "I think you should be the first face Brenda sees when she wakes up."

Sonny looked at all of the group there. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Robin said. "Give her a hug for all of us."

Sonny nodded and Patrick led him to Brenda's room in the ICU. He sucked in his breath as he saw her lying there, perfectly still, amidst tubes and vials and machine after machine. What the hell was wrong with _his_ Brenda?

Patrick left Sonny, after warning him repeatedly not to upset his patient. Sonny walked over and sat beside Brenda, taking her hand. "Hey, Bren," he said. "You gave us all a shock at the church today. You always did like to have the limelight on you." He attempted a bit of humor but it didn't go over well without her to hear it.

He kissed her hand and waited there seemingly forever for to wake up from her sedative-induced slumber.

Finally she did and she looked over and saw Sonny sitting at her bedside, felt his warm fingers latched around hers. "Hey," she said.

"You're awake," he said making it sound like a question. He thought maybe he was dreaming it all.

"Yeah," she said. "What happened?"

"You passed out at Robin's wedding," he replied.

"Oh yeah …" She said and he watched tears fill her big brown eyes. "Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you hold me?"

Sonny nodded. "Of course," he said and gently scooted into the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her tiny body and kissing her forehead.

XoXoXo

Brenda fell asleep in Sonny's arms and finally awoke again to find him still there, holding her close and watching her like he was afraid she would disappear if he took his eyes off of her for even a second.

"You're still here," she said.

"Where else would I be right now?"

She shrugged a little, not answering.

He lightly caressed her face. "Bren, what are you doing in this place? How did it come to this?"

Brenda's eyes moistened with tears. "Sonny, I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Just tell me," Sonny said, trying to sound tough but she was the only one who would recognize the vulnerability in his voice.

"Sonny, I … I have cancer," she said. "Well more accurately, a brain tumor and my doctors in Paris … they said it's inoperable."

Sonny took a deep breath and then shook his head. "No, I don't believe that. I just don't."

"It's true, Sonny," she said. "You have to accept it."

"Have _you_ accepted it?" He half-spat and she knew that he was angry at the situation but not her.

She shook her head. "I'm so scared, Sonny. You know me, I never get scared. I am a hundred pounds of lean, mean, fighting machine but this… this scares the hell out of me."

Sonny just nodded. "Okay I understand but whatever you do, don't give up, okay? I'll support you through this and we'll fight this. You know if we do go down, we go down swinging …" He kissed her forehead again. "But we'll fight this all the way, Bren. Together …"

XoXoXo

Kate had expected Maxie to come into work after Robin's wedding reception but she didn't show up so finally Kate called her and demanded to know where the hell she was. Maxie had tearfully replied that something had gone wrong at the wedding and she wouldn't be in that day.

Never satisfied without details, Kate ordered Maxie to fill her in on the details. "Brenda Barrett passed out at Robin and Patrick's wedding. It seems serious. She's at GH now."

Kate had found herself slamming down the phone and running out of her office, jumping on the elevator and high-tailing it across town. She knew somehow that Sonny would be there and wanted to make sure he was alright. She knew this was the sort of thing that could send him over the edge.

She arrived at the hospital and after charming a male orderly with her smile, she talked him into telling her where Brenda Barrett's room was, sure that Sonny would be in there.

He was.

But what she didn't expect was to find Sonny in the bed with Brenda, holding her close and whispering to her and kissing her forehead like they were the only two people in the whole world.

Somehow Kate knew in the pit of her stomach that she and Sonny were over …


	12. Where I Belong

_**I am so humbled by the great responses to this fiction – please know how much I appreciate it. Thank you!**_

* * *

**Chapter 12: Where I Belong**

Kate started to back out of the doorway slowly when Sonny suddenly looked up and spotted her. If she had expected him to look embarrassed or even ashamed at having been caught in bed with his ex, she would have been sorely disappointed. "Kate," he said simply.

"Hello, Sonny …" She said then looked over at the woman in the hospital bed beside him. "Brenda," she said.

"Hi," Brenda said warily, struggling to a sitting position. "This isn't what it looks like. I mean, Sonny was just –"

"I understand," Kate said softly. "I heard about what happened at the church today and thought I should come over and see if I can do anything …"

Brenda shook her head. "No, I'm fine thanks."

"Okay … Well uh, feel better, Brenda," Kate said and strode out of the room before Sonny could say anything.

XoXoXo

"You should go after her," Brenda said to Sonny as soon as Kate was gone.

"No, I'm staying right here. You need someone here."

"But I don't need a babysitter."

"I am not your babysitter," Sonny said. "I would just like to be here. This is where I belong. You have a brain tumor for god's sake, Brenda, you need all the encouragement you can get and remember I said we would fight this together."

"Sonny, there's nothing you or I can do now. It's too late for me."

Sonny stared at her. "Where is the kickass Brenda I know? The one who cheated death more times than I can count and came back swinging every time twice as hard?"

"It's just … I know when I'm beat."

"Don't say that. Don't ever say that. There are always options. There have to be. I can't … I can't lose you again."

Brenda looked up at Sonny with teary eyes. "Sonny, there is a woman who just walked out of this hospital room who is not dying but is healthy, well and kicking. She can give you all of the things I can't."

Sonny glanced at the ceiling as tears filled his own eyes, and then looked at Brenda. "I am going to fight this with you, Bren – every step of the way. I am not leaving your side till I know you're going to be okay."

XoXoXo

Robin looked at the X-rays of the large tumor inside her best friend's brain and felt tears trickle down her face. Patrick turned away from where he had been making circles and X's on the prints and moved over to his would-be bride, locking his arms around her waist. "Hell of a way to spend a wedding day, huh?" He said quietly.

Robin just nodded and leaned into his broad shoulder. "Yeah … Oh my god, poor Brenda. When I think of the pressure I put on her to be in our wedding party –"

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault," Patrick said, tilting Robin's chin upwards to meet his eyes. "It's no one's fault but nature's. We both know that."

"I know, it's just … Patrick, I can't lose her. She's this amazing bright light and if she-" she couldn't bring herself to say the word _"die"_ – "goes … The world will be a lot dimmer. I asked her to be our baby girl's godmother and she needs to be around to help with our muffin. Our baby deserves to know someone amazing like Brenda."

"Our options are limited at this point, Robin, and you know it."

"I know but I'm also not giving up hope. You're a fantastic surgeon and doctor, Patrick. If anyone can save Brenda's life now, it's you."

XoXoXo

As friends waited anxiously for more news on Brenda, Patrick and Robin and a whole staff of other doctors and diagnosticians were surrounding a table and looking over the X-ray proofs intently. "Can we do this?" Leo Julian finally asked.

Patrick sighed and ran a hand over his face. "It will be tricky for sure but it's her only hope to survive. Without this surgery, I give her one to two weeks to live at the most."

"Those aren't great chances," Dr. Archer put in.

"She's going to die anyway if we don't try, so this is her last hope. Just pray she takes this as the olive branch it is and decides to have the surgery. She seems to be resigned to death at this point and that is not an easy attitude to deal with."

"But she's strong," Robin said. "If anyone can make it through this surgery, I know for a fact its Brenda."

XoXoXo

"Sonny, Kate is –" Brenda started again and he held up a hand.

"Not the one I'm choosing to be with right now," Sonny said. "Quit trying to push me away because you think putting distance between us now will hurt me less."

"Won't it?"

"No. It will just make me miss you more," he said kissing her forehead once again.

The door suddenly opened and Patrick walked into the room, followed by Robin who was still in her rumbled white dress. The sight made Brenda want to cry even harder. This was supposed to be her best friend's most special day and of course she had to have ruined it.

Robin walked over to Brenda and rested her head on Brenda's while giving her a long hug. They cried together quietly for a bit and then Brenda broke away. "Robs, I am so sorry about your wedding day nightmare."

"It's okay. Your health is actually our first priority which is why Patrick's here."

Brenda looked over at Patrick who had a file folder in his hand. "Brenda, you are aware that you have a brain tumor, I assume."

Brenda nodded. "Yes. I've known for a little while now. The doctors I saw in Paris gave me two months to live but that was three months ago …"

"See, Brenda, you're strong," Sonny said, massaging the pads of her fingers with his own.

"Well your time is coming to a close, Brenda," Patrick said, not pulling any punches. "I am sure you know that. We have one opportunity and one opportunity only to save your life. The window is small but if we get you into surgery immediately –

"Wait! Wait a minute," Sonny suddenly interrupted. "Will you be performing this surgery?"

"I don't know anyone else who is more qualified," Patrick said.

"You couldn't save my son so what makes you think I'm going to let you cut into Brenda?"

"Sonny-" Brenda started.

"That's not your decision," Patrick interrupted. "Its Brenda's choice. I am the only one besides my father who can perform this surgery in the state of New York and he's not here so you'll have to deal, Sonny. This is not your decision to make. Its Brenda's and Brenda's alone."

Robin looked over at Brenda. "Bren, you need this surgery."

"What are the side effects if it doesn't work?" Sonny asked, facing Robin. "At least tell us that."

XoXoXo

Kate walked slowly alone the docks after she left the hospital, so many thoughts swirling around in her head. She knew that she and Sonny had reached an impasse and were not going to overcome this obstacle. He wanted Brenda, that much was obvious, and should Brenda survive whatever malady she had, she was sure Brenda would choose to be with him as well.

Tears filled her cinnamon eyes but she willed herself not to cry. Kate Howard did_ not_ cry. Certainly not over a man.

She heard footsteps nearby and swung around, spotting someone standing across the pier. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.


	13. Live Like You Were Dying

**Chapter 13: Live Like You Were Dying**

"Side effects? The side effect if she doesn't have this surgery, Sonny, is that she is going to die," Patrick said in such a manner that made it clear he would rather be talking to Brenda than Sonny, who he considered to be a bully.

"What else?" Brenda asked.

"If all goes well, you'll be alive, Brenda. I'm not going to lie to you –the chances are not great with a tumor as large as yours, but at this point, it's your only hope."

Robin piped into the conversation. "The Gamma Knife surgery is your best option. Patrick's right. If you make it through –" she swallowed hard – "I mean, _when_ you make it through the most you will have to deal with is headaches and some nausea occasionally while the radiation is still in your system."

"How does it work?" Brenda asked.

"Well its radiation," Patrick said, taking back over the conversation. "We point beams of radiation in well – to put it in layperson's terms - in a bunch of different directions, focused on all areas of the tumor. If all goes well, you won't need another surgery as the tumor will just collapse and it is for all intents and purposes gone."

"Does the collapsing part hurt?" Brenda asked.

"Not at all."

"So, Bren, you will have the surgery right?" Robin said.

Brenda looked at Sonny and then looked back at Robin. "Yes …"

"Alright we'll have you prepped for surgery within the hour and get this thing moving," Patrick said.

"Wait!" Brenda said as Patrick walked to the door. "I don't want to do it tonight. There are other things I would much rather do. If I might die, I want to say goodbye to everyone the right way."

Three pairs of eyes turned on Brenda. "You do realize the seriousness of your condition," Patrick said, annoyance clear in his voice.

"I do. But tonight, I want to …well, live a real life in case I don't have one tomorrow."

XoXoXo

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked again, her voice coming out in a hiss.

"God, Connie, I thought you'd be happy to see me," Olivia Falconeri said, standing under a beam of light, her long, dark hair swept up in a bun and wearing a dress that Kate could only describe as having come from a reject pile at the Dress Barn.

Kate eyed her cousin closely and then grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to a dark area of the docks. "It's not Connie anymore. It's Kate. Kate Howard. No one knows about my past in Bensonhurst except Sonny."

Olivia cracked her gum. "So you and him are on again huh? What are the chances?"

"No we were on again but now we're … off." She waved her hands. "Look, it was nice chatting with you but you need to go. NOW."

Connie shook her head resolutely. "Hell no, Cousin. I just got here and I'll decide when – or if – I leave."

XoXoXo

_**An hour and a half later …**_

"This is the craziest thing you've done yet, big sister," Robin said as she helped Brenda fix her hair in a sophisticated chignon.

Brenda smiled. "I know, but if I'm going to die anyway …"

Robin shook her head. "Don't say that. Patrick is the best surgeon I know and –"

Brenda smirked. "You're just saying that because you're sleeping with him."

Robin chuckled. "Oh please. I knew he was the best surgeon around before I ever even met him. He performed Jason's brain surgery too you know."

Brenda laughed. "Don't think I don't see the irony in that."

They both laughed and Robin rested her head atop Brenda's. "The hair, the hair!" Brenda cried but was only kidding. Tears pooled in her eyes. "Thanks for always going along with my crazy schemes, Robs. Thanks for everything. For loving me like the sister you never had."

Robin swiped at her own eyes. "You're going to ruin your makeup."

"Aww what are raccoon eyes between friends?" Brenda joked as Robin went to dab at her friend's streaked mascara.

Robin smiled and kissed Brenda's cheek. "You look amazing and radiant. Even more beautiful than I've ever seen you before."

"You're lying but flattery will get you everywhere."

"Well you'll be the belle of the ball tonight."

"The side show attraction is more like it."

"Bren, don't take this the wrong way but shut up."

Brenda laughed. "If you weren't my best friend I would hurt you for that."

Robin laughed too and surveyed her handiwork in the mirror. "All done. Now all you need is your dress."

Brenda smiled. "I wonder if I did the right thing sending a man to do a woman's job," she joked.

"I think Sonny can do this right."

"It will be interesting to see if I end up in a potato sack or a real gown."

There was suddenly a knock at the door and Brenda looked at Robin with a smile. "He's heeeerrre," she said dramatically.

"Come in," Brenda called and sure enough she was right when Sonny walked in carrying a long white garment bag with the Wyndham's Department Store label stamped across it.

He shrugged. "It was the only store in town that had the right thing."

Brenda smiled. "Thanks for getting it."

Sonny smiled at her. "Of course. I wish this could wait until after your surgery but I know once you get an idea into your head, it's pointless to try and change your mind."

"That's for sure," Robin said with a laugh.

"Hey, quit ganging up on me," Brenda said as she accepted the garment bag from Sonny and unzipped it. "Ohmigod …"

Sonny frowned. "You don't like it …"

Brenda shook her head. "No. I LOVE it!" She ran her fingers across the crushed red velvet of the empire waisted red dress. It was strapless and simply gorgeous.

Sonny leaned over and brushed her hand with his lips. "So should we get this show on the road?"

"Yep," Brenda said smiling brightly. "We definitely should …"


	14. Life Celebrations

**Chapter 14: Life Celebrations**

Brenda finished getting dressed and then Robin pronounced her looking perfect. "Is it okay if I don't dress up?" Robin asked. "I could wear my wedding dress but it seems like it is an omen of bad luck."

Brenda chuckled. "Sure you don't have to dress up but everyone else does."

"What about Sonny?" Robin asked.

"He's already in a suit. I just told him to add a tie," Brenda said with a giggle. "Now I wonder how many people are actually going to show up."

"A chance to have free drinks, food and the chance to see a famous supermodel? No one's going to miss it!"

XoXoXo

Sonny came to the door and grinned when he saw Brenda all dressed up. "You look amazing," he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Corinthos," Brenda said. "That is so kind of you." She giggled. "And you don't look half bad yourself."

He just smiled and held out his arm to her. "Are we really going to do this thing?"

"Yes," Brenda said taking his arm as they walked out of her hospital room.

XoXoXo

"So what is this all about?" Tracy Quartermaine asked. "Some kind of wake for someone who isn't even dead yet?"

"Tracy, I don't know why Brenda would even invite you," her father Edward said.

"What I want to know is why she would invite Carly and Jax," Monica said walking over to them.

"Or Kate Howard for that matter," Edward said. "Isn't she Sonny's new –"

"Playmate," Tracy offered.

The Quartermaines looked around and saw tons of people had filled the hospital board room, munching on sushi wraps and drinking wine and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. People who meant the world to Brenda, people who hated her, even people they didn't think Brenda had met or would ever have anything to do with, were crammed into the room.

"Well I want to know why Robin was so insistent we come," Tracy said, sounding like her normal petulant self.

"Tracy, why don't you stop complaining and just shut up or go home?" Monica exhorted.

"Now, Monica, you know we couldn't have a party without Tracy," Brenda said, suddenly sweeping into the room on Sonny's arm.

"Brenda,_ dear!"_ Edward exclaimed. "It's so wonderful to see you." He kissed her on the cheek. "Too bad you brought that degenerate with you." He gestured to Sonny.

"Heel, Edward," Monica said, also kissing Brenda's cheek. "So what's this all about? I hear you have a brain tumor through the ever-active hospital grapevine but then we get a call from Robin an hour ago saying you want to see all of us for some kind of party ...?"

"I did," Brenda said. "And I'll explain everything in just a moment."

Brenda mingled for a bit with the people she knew best and then walked to the center of the room, clapping her hands. "Hello everyone. Can I have your attention please?" she asked and everyone quieted for the moment anyway.

"Now you are probably all wondering why you were invited here tonight, why I showed up in a big, foofy but beautiful red dress, if I really have a brain tumor, and if you don't know me, who the hell I am. I can explain all of that to you."

She smiled as she looked around at the faces of the people who made up life in Port Charles – old friends, old flames, old enemies and new ones. People who she didn't know but who moved on the periphery of her world making it somehow more meaningful tonight and every night.

"Tomorrow I will undergo brain surgery," Brenda said.

Carly started to send up a retort but Jax clamped a hand over her mouth. Brenda just laughed. "It's okay, Carly, I don't want you to censor your feelings on my account. In fact, this whole night is about living. It's not some kind of wake or early funeral. It's about living, going out in the world, and doing the best we can to touch someone's life even in a small way." Her eyes watered now. "I could die tomorrow – I could die in twenty years or thirty even but tonight I really want to live, know what it's like again to be in my hometown – and this is my home in every way that counts – and know all the people who live here who have touched my life in more ways than they could have imagined or guessed. So tonight is not about death – it's a party to celebrate life and the big moments and the little ones and cherish them all."

She dashed at two stray tears that rolled down her face. "Okay, everyone, please have fun. Get to know each other. Talk to me. Tell me how you really feel about me because even if I don't know you yet, I hope I will eventually. You could be my next door neighbor in a few months or a potential friend or even a potential enemy but someone who will make my life very damned interesting! Thank you all for coming."

Large applause went up at the end of Brenda's speech and she noticed through teary eyes that even Carly was clapping reluctantly. She turned to see Sonny watching her from the side of the room with a look of pride and yet humility on his face. She smiled and started over to him but was practically mauled by everyone wanting to talk to her. She met lots of new people and reacquainted herself with old friends like Mike and Bobbie who looked suspiciously close. Brenda thought she smelled a romance brewing there but was not about to say so and embarrass them.

She greeted some of her old friends like Lucky and Luke with kisses on the cheek and others she just shook hands with but she hadn't felt this good in a long time. Even Carly eventually moved over to her to talk and Brenda was determined to let Carly say her piece without interference.

"Brenda, I don't like you," Carly said right away. She held up a hand to stop Jax from saying anything. "I don't like you at all but I almost admire you for your stubbornness and refusal to give in. I kind of understand now why you wanted to spend time with Michael. And for that, I can't hate you. I don't have to love you - I definitely NEVER will - but you've been a very worthy opponent and I would kind of miss sparring with you if you died tomorrow."

Brenda smiled. "Carly, you know in all of the years we've known each other you've never said a nicer thing to me that I can remember. I too have enjoyed our rivalry and god willing I will live on to continue it. I can't let you win again."

Carly sighed and glanced at Jax. "I suppose you want to say something to Brenda …"

Jax looked between his current wife and then his ex-lover. "Actually I do."

"I'm going to go dance with Jason then," Carly said.

"Good luck getting him to do that," Brenda called after her.

Carly sneered. "Trust me, I have ways of making him do what I want."

Jax sighed and Brenda hid a smile. "You've got a livewire there, Jax."

"Tell me about it," Jax said. He suddenly reached out and took her hands. "Brenda, I am so sorry-"

Brenda shook her head. "No, please don't say you're sorry for anything. I just want to put the past where it belongs – in the past."

"Okay well then I'll say I have regretted things I've done but I am always going to be there if you need me. You taught me how to love someone with my whole heart and now I have Carly so in a way I have to thank you for that."

Brenda nodded. "I never thought we'd be having this conversation."

Jax smirked. "Me either."

"But just be happy, Jax, be happy. Believe it or not that's all I ever wanted for you."

"I am happy," Jax said. "The only thing that will make my world more complete is you and Michael being well again."

Brenda nodded and reached up and kissed Jax's cheek. "We will be. I really think we will be."

XoXoXo

Sonny was about to move over and steal Brenda away from boring ass Jax but Kate stepped into his line of sight first. He walked over to her. "Hey," he said simply.

"Hello, Sonny, I've been meaning to talk to you since I got your call about this – what shall we call it? – life celebration? … Anyway I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time."

Sonny locked eyes with Brenda for a moment and then she noticed Kate but her smile never faltered. He loved her smile. God how had he lived so long without seeing it?

Sonny looked back at Kate. "Sure we can talk."

"Okay out in the hallway. This needs to stay private."

"Sure …" Sonny said and followed her out the door.


	15. Wonderful Surprise

**Chapter 15: Wonderful Surprise**

Sonny followed Kate into the hallway and they sat in hard, overstuffed chairs in the main waiting room. "Kate, I –" Sonny started to say as she said his name too.

She smiled. "You first."

"No, you."

"Okay ... Well, Sonny, I came here for a variety of reasons. None which I can quite wrap my mind around but I just wanted you to know that - that ... the wedding is off - for good." Before Sonny could say anything, she held up a hand. "Let me finish please. I am not trying to be petty or heartless but I know when I'm beat and I just can't keep fighting anymore. You loved Connie but I'm not her anymore and you aren't Michael from the block anymore either. We're grown up and what's that saying? - now that I'm an adult I put away childish things. We shared a great love once upon a time but we can't keep forcing it and I realize your heart isn't in it anymore. We had a great love but you and Brenda ... there's something even more there and I am not going to stand in the way of it."

"Kate ..." Sonny started. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"There's nothing you can say," Kate said sadly. "Sometimes these things just happen." She was trying so hard to keep a stiff upper lip, to retain her dignity and strength but she could feel all of that ebbing away even as she sat staring into the eyes of the man she thought a part of her would always love. Once you go Sonny, you never go back as the saying went.

Sonny reached for Kate's hand and squeezed it. "For what it's worth, I honestly never meant to hurt you with Claudia or Carly or anyone else."

Kate nodded. "I know, I know," she said. She sat up straighter in her chair. "But that's not the only reason I came."

"There's more?"

"Yeah, a bit more -" Kate started but Carly had marched up to them and ruined a moment that should have been precious, at least to Kate. Saying goodbye - again - to the man you loved, the love of your life, was the hardest thing she could have ever imagined doing.

"Dammit, Sonny, Brenda is monopolizing Jax. Go and break them apart," Carly whined.

Sonny and Kate both glared at her and Sonny started to tell her off but Kate held up a hand once again. "No, it's okay. Go to Brenda. She needs you right now. What I have to say can wait."

Sonny glanced at Kate and she saw a tenderness in his eyes, a softness that was so foreign to Kate. He was genuinely sad he had hurt her and that almost made things easier. Almost.

"Kate -"

"Just go," Kate said, standing up and grabbing her Prada purse. "Brenda needs you and Carly will have a fit if you don't do her bidding."

Carly reached out to smack Kate but Kate had already stepped around her and hurried off.

XoXoXo

Carly followed Sonny back to the boardroom, whining and screeching the whole way. It had seemed mere minutes before that she was ready to bury the hatchet with Brenda but now she was back to her old self again - irrepressible and bitchy. Sonny realized then and there that he and Carly too were never meant to be. Never. Brenda had been the one in his heart for so long, for so many years and always would be the one for him. All the other women - and true, there had been many - had been distractions from his feelings for the one that he let get away time and time again. If he had anything to say about it, it wouldn't happen again ...

XoXoXo

"Jax, are you ready to go home?" Carly asked as she and Sonny walked back into the boardroom.

Brenda looked over and shook her head but didn't say anything to her. She just got on her tippy toes and kissed Jax's cheek. "Take care, Jax. I hope we can talk again soon."

Jax nodded. "We will. Your surgery tomorrow will go swimmingly and then you'll be the same old Brenda Barrett."

Brenda chuckled. "I sure hope so."

Jax and Carly left, Carly shouting at him the whole way, and then Sonny moved over to Brenda, taking her hand. "Hey," she said. "You owe me a dance."

Sonny nodded. "Okay ..." They walked into the center of the room and Brenda nodded to Robin who cranked up the music. The song "Wonderful Surprise" by Shawn Hlookoff began to play softly as Sonny slipped his arms around Brenda's waist and she rested her hands on his shoulders.

_I wasn't looking for it  
I wasn't ready for the ride  
I was stumbling  
But you were knocking on my door  
I tried but I could not ignore  
your soft eyes_

Brenda looked into Sonny's dark eyes and he smiled at her. He looked a little troubled but his eyes were soft and focused directly back onto hers. He cinched his arms tighter around his waist, but not enough to hurt her. She just smiled.

_You had me wrapped around this feeling  
It just felt so right_

_You're such a wonderful surprise_  
_I couldn't plan it if I tried_  
_You turn the darkest days to light_  
_Like a morning sun, you're such a wonderful surprise_

_I don't think you can do any wrong_  
_You're like the hook in my favorite song_  
_I wanna sing you..._

_You're in my heart, you're on my mind_  
_You pick me up at the lowest times in my life_

"Thank you, Sonny," Brenda said, her eyes misting with tears.

"What for?" Sonny asked, sounding genuinely surprised that she should thank him for anything.

"For just being here with me. For always being willing to go along with my wild ideas and crazy schemes like you did tonight. I have never been afraid of anything before but this tumor about did me in emotionally and not just physically. You fighting for me ... It was like old times."

_Everything happens for a reason and now I see why_

"I would do anything for you, Bren," Sonny said. "I lo-"

Brenda reached up and brushed his lips with her fingertips. "No more talking. Just hold me, okay?"

Sonny just nodded and held her close, dancing with her long after the song had ended.

_You make everything right  
You took me by surprise at the perfect time..._

_Like a morning sun, you're such a wonderful surprise_


End file.
